Loss and Gain
by kleinerGummiflummi
Summary: Spoilers. Post-Infinity War. Fix-It. Thor spends some quiet time thinking about what has been lost. He finds he might not have lost quite as much as he thought.


They had done it. By their might combined they had defeated the Mad Titan. Thor wasn't too sure of most of the details as he had been occupied with keeping Thanos' lackeys at bay, and he might have been unconscious for some of the later parts. His comrades assured him however that it had been a most glorious battle indeed.

Afterwards they had collected the Infinity Stones and used them to reverse the damage Thanos had done. Everyone who had turned to dust was returned to their former state.

However the Stones had to be destroyed quickly to ensure that nothing of the sorts could occur again. This meant that all the people who were slain by his blade rather than the Stones would stay slain. He'd heard some mourn the green lady he had briefly met in space, and also their ally Vision would remain dead, as would the people of Asgard and-

Thor shook himself where he was sat on the bed in the room he had been provided by the Avengers. His plan had been to regroup and think of where his path would lead him next, but his thoughts kept shifting back to the recent events.

To all the losses he had felt in such quick succession. His mother, his father, his hammer, his eye, his home, his people, and most recently his brother.

He reached up to rub his eye. It had been replaced, yes, but he didn't see quite the same, it looked obviously different, and it wouldn't stop itching.

Next to him, on the floor, leaning against the wall, sat Stormbreaker. Yet another replacement that couldn't match the original. It might have been a more powerful weapon, but it didn't hold any of the sentimental value.

Thor wasn't too thrilled to find out what replacement the universe had in store for him where his home and his people were concerned.

Of course there was no way to replace the family he had lost.

His mind flashed back to the moment Thanos seized Loki by the throat, the moment the life left his brother's body, the moment he crawled over to cling to his lifeless form, only to be ripped away with no chance to fix anything.

With the universe on the brink of destruction, he hadn't even had the time to mourn.

But with his brother's killer dead and the universe safe for now his mind finally had the time to catch up.

All of this happening after they'd finally started to see eye to eye at Ragnarok, made it hit him even harder. His brother had returned, the way he'd never expected and yet still hoped for. He'd had the Tesseract, he could have gone anywhere in the universe, but he choose to stay with Thor. He could have been anywhere, but he just so happened to be there when Thanos arrived.

He felt tears well up and didn't feel the need to repress them, he was alone after all, and he was grieving over his brother.

His brother. Lost for a while, in more ways than one. Returned to him for such a short time. And now, now-

"Hey there."

Thor's eyes snapped open and shot over to the doorway.

He felt his heart stop for a second.

There, before him, stood a sight he'd never believed to see again, slender figure, skin paler than ever, messy long black hair, and clad in torn green leathers-

"Loki?"

His brother smiled at him, faintly but genuine. "Brother."

"Loki? How-? You died."

Loki shot him a bitter smile, but without any of the malice usually associated with it, it just looked hollow and exhausted. "Will you never learn? This is what- the third time you've fallen for this? Although I have to give it to you, this one did feel the most real."

Thor felt a spike of disbelief and anger shoot through him. Had this been another of his brother's ploys? Just another cheap trick? "How did you survive?" He asked more desperately than he wanted to sound.

"I didn't."

And now what did that mean? Was this an illusion? Or something his mind dreamed up to ease the pain?

At Thor's hurt and confused look, Loki explained. "I am here. Don't worry about that. I didn't survive, yet I am alive, thanks to good luck and the help of a stranger."

He was here. He was really here. His brother had returned to him again. Thor was gripped by a sudden paranoia. He glanced around the room, but when the walls didn't come down around him and the world didn't seem to end for the third time in too rapid a succession, he relaxed and let the relief flood through him. "Somebody brought you back?"

"Yes. I don't know how they did it and I don't know who they were, but they did bring me back."

"And what of our people? Are they-"

He didn't dare finish the question, terrified of the possible answer.

Loki shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't actually seen them since-" He trailed off there. It didn't need to be said. Maybe he couldn't say it.

Loki took a hesitant step away from the door and into the room, whole body trembling, seemingly more exhausted than he'd appeared at first.

Thor was standing before he realized it, ready to catch his brother if he fell.

"Brother," Loki continued, "I do believe that you still owe me a hug. This does feel like an appropriate time to ask for one."

Something warm welled up in Thor's chest. "Of course."

He closed the distance in between them in two quick steps and then he had his brother pressed close, his arms trying to envelope him completely, his nose buried in the black locks.

Loki's hands clung to Thor's back for dear life, but the rest of him seemed to melt against Thor's body.

Thor took a few moments just to breathe in his brother's scent and to listen to his heartbeat, taking in that he was really, truly still here.

"Loki, I am so glad you're here. We have suffered tragic losses, but knowing you're alive and well, knowing I don't have to mourn you, it's the greatest gift I could have been given."

Loki made a choked off noise that Thor couldn't quite interpret, before he said, "I am also quite fond of being reunited."

"I was so afraid I'd have to do this on my own. Having to live the rest of a seemingly eternal life all by myself. I-" Thor was hoping once again- He barely dared to ask, not wishing to ruin this moment, but he had to know. "Will you stay?"

There was only the barest little hint of hesitation, before Loki answered. "Yes. Yes, of course."

He lifted his head to nuzzle his cheek against Thor's face.

Thor startled a little at the familiarity of the gesture, as they hadn't been this close in a few decades.

He received a second shock when Loki spoke again. "I love you, brother."

Tears welled up in Thor's eyes again, but not of grief this time. He was here. He truly had his brother back and this time he was sure not to let him go without a fight. Thor swallowed his emotions down, his voice slightly shaky as he replied. "I love you, too."

They stood like that for another few seconds before Loki spoke up again. "Thor?"

"Yes?"

Loki slumped back down against him, his arms hanging by his sides now. "I'm exhausted."

"Oh. Right. Here." Thor led his brother over to the bed and helped him slip under the covers, where he passed out after a few seconds.

He knelt down next to the bed and took Loki's hand, pressing it up to his face. Again he took some time just to feel the warmth and listen the heartbeat, taking solace in just knowing that his brother was alive, and that he was here, where he chose to be.

With so many things lost and so little gained, at least they had each other.

Asgard was a people, not a place. And with the only other remaining Asgardian right next to him, home would be wherever they chose to be. Together.


End file.
